The present invention generally relates to apparatus and methods for dental devices used in a dental laboratory, and, more particularly, to dental devices for mounting dental casts to dental articulators.
Some dental devices for mounting dental casts to dental articulators may require that the upper and lower portions of the dental cast be cemented or rigidly affixed together. Other dental devices for mounting dental casts may use plastic stick-like elements, a combination of wood sticks (including tooth picks) and dental waxes, or cements to stabilize dental casts for the mounting procedure. The use of the above described devices requires additional items for the procedure such as adhesives including cyanoacrylate cements (e.g., super glue), which can be toxic and adhere to human skin and are difficult to clean up if excess is used. The use of dental waxes (e.g., sticky wax) in some dental devices requires a heating device such as a torch or a flame to apply the wax, which may have its own inherent challenges and dangers of fire or burns.
As can be seen, there is a need for an improved apparatus and method that does not require a use of toxic glues or sticky substances and does not require an external heat source.